Mary Peach (born 20 October 1934) is a South African-born British film and television actress, who was married to the screenwriter and director Jimmy Sangster from 1995 until his death in 2011.[1]

Mary Peach
Born (1934-10-20) 20 October 1934 (age 89)
OccupationActress
Years active1957–1995
Spouses
  • (m. 1961, divorced)
  • (m. 1995; died 2011)
Children2

Biography edit

Peach was born in Durban. After being nominated for a BAFTA Award as most promising newcomer for the 1959 film Room at the Top, she went on to appear on many British films and television series over the next 25 years. She starred opposite Rock Hudson in the film A Gathering of Eagles and in 1970 she appeared in the film Scrooge, a musical version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol starring Albert Finney.

Peach appeared as a regular in the TV series Couples, Inside Story, the 1966 BBC adaptation of The Three Musketeers, Fox and the Doctor Who serial The Enemy of the World. Amongst her other television appearances she played Colonel Tanya Smolenko, a Russian counter espionage agent in The Saint episode "The Gadget Lovers" (1967) and starred opposite Ian McShane in Disraeli (1978).

When Diana Rigg left The Avengers in 1968, she was one of the actresses considered for the role of Steed's new assistant.[2]

Personal life edit

Peach married film producer Thomas Clyde on 18 May 1961 at the Chelsea Register Office in London.[3] They met on the set of the 1960 film Follow That Horse!, which Clyde produced.[4] The couple separated in the 1980s[5] and later divorced.

Peach and Clyde had two children:

  • Andrew Clyde (b. February 1963)
  • Joanna Clyde (b. 1965)

Peach married screenwriter and director Jimmy Sangster in 1995.

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1959 Room at the Top June Samson
1959 The Lady Is a Square Mrs. Freddy
1960 Follow That Horse! Susan Turner
1961 No Love for Johnnie Pauline West
1962 A Pair of Briefs Frances Pilbright
1963 A Gathering of Eagles Victoria Caldwell
1965 Ballad in Blue Peggy Harrison
1966 The Projected Man Dr. Patricia Hill
1970 Scrooge Harry's wife
1988 Grandmother's House Fay
1992 Mothers and Daughters Fay
1995 Cutthroat Island Lady

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1957 Esmé Divided Gladys Pilcher TV film
1957 Armchair Theatre Lady Jane Graham "The Human Touch"
1958 Armchair Theatre Hilda Wangel / Asta "The Master Builder", "The Rat Wife"
1960 Inside Story Kathy Webb TV series
1961 Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Jill Barrington "Nightmare"
1963 ITV Television Playhouse Jean Fowler "The Outcasts"
1966–67 The Three Musketeers Milady de Winter TV series
1967 The Saint Smolenko "The Gadget Lovers"
1967 ITV Play of the Week Helene Bang "One Fat Englishman"
1967 Theatre 625 Jane Dee "The Magicians: Dr. Dee, Kelly and the Spirits"
1967–68 Doctor Who Astrid Ferrier Main role (The Enemy of the World)
1969 W. Somerset Maugham Violet Saffary "The Back of Beyond"
1971 Hadleigh Mrs. Billingham "Invasion"
1971 The Ten Commandments Hilda "Hilda"
1971 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Pat "The Birthday Run"
1972 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Angie / Angela "A Marriage", "When the Music Stops"
1972 Love Story Hannah "A Memory of Two Loves"
1973 Play for Today Elizabeth "Access to the Children"
1973 Menace Diana "Valentine"
1973 Fixation Kay Hughes TV film
1974 Dial M for Murder Linda Grady "Whatever's Peter Playing At?"
1975 Rooms Alison Richards "Alison: Parts 1 & 2"
1976 Couples Tricia Roland TV series
1976 Can You Keep a Secret Janet Pierce TV film
1976 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Mae TV film
1977 ITV Playhouse Helen Johnson "Blind Love"
1978 Crown Court Dr. Ruth Wilkins "The Song Not the Singer: Part 1"
1978 Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic Mary Anne Lewis "Dizzy", "Mary Anne", "The Great Game 1858-1872"
1980 Fox Peg Guest role
1982 The Gentle Touch Paula Livesey "Cause and Effect"
1983 The Aerodrome Florence TV film
1984 The Far Pavilions Mrs. Harlowe TV miniseries
1985 A.D. Peasant "Part 1"

References edit

  1. ^ Newman, Kim (21 August 2011). "Jimmy Sangster obituary: Screenwriter behind Hammer films such as Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  2. ^ Cheshire, Ellen (2002). "Women on British Television: Top 10 Female Icons". VideoVista. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Wedding Day Gaiety". The Liverpool Echo and Evening Express. 18 May 1961.
  4. ^ "The Star and the Girl Who Waits". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 24 June 1961.
  5. ^ "The Importance of Being Mary". Evening Post. 19 April 1986.

External links edit